Improvement in aerial observatories



y 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 N.. 0. LOMBMH).l Aerial Observatory.

Ne. 199,986. Patented Feb. 5,1878.-

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N. PETERS. PHOTU-LITHOGRAFHER, wAsmNGTON. D C.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2:.

Paten'fed Feb. 5,187.8.

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N.PETF.RS. PHOTO-LITHQGRAAPHER, WASHINGTON, n C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

NATHAN O. LOMBARD, OF OAMBRIDGEPORT, ASSIGNOR TO ABBY A. SAWYER,

y OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

IMPROVEMENT IN AERIAL lOBSERVATORIES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 199,986, dated February 5, 1878; application filed January 16, 1878.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, NATHAN C. LOMBARD, of Oambridgeport, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certainnew and useful lmprovements in Aerial Observatories or Lookout -Towers, of which the following, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a speciication.

My invention relates to that class of aerial Observatories or lookout-towers in which elevator-cars, operated by steam or other suitable power, are used to convey passengers to the tops of said towers; and it relates especially to the construction of the supporting-column and the arrangement of the elevator-cars relative thereto; and it consists in constructing the supporting-column of a cruciform shape in cross-section, or with four wings projecting radially from a common center at angles of ninety degrees from each other, said wings being formed of plate-iron, firmly secured t0- gether at their inner and contiguous edges, and strengthened and stiffened by suitable stays, ties, and braces, in combination with one or two elevator-cars arranged within, or partially within, the angle formed by two of said wings, and suitable mechanism forvraising said car or cars from the base to the top of said column.

My invention further consists in the combination of a supporting-column of cruciform shape in cross-section, two elevator-cars arranged upon opposite sides of said column, each within, or partially within, one of the angles formed by two of the wings of said cruciform column, and adapted to be guided in its ascent and descent by said column, and one or more landings or platforms located at intermediate points between the base and top of said column, and occupying the angles between the wings of the cruciform column not occupied by the ascending and descending cars.

Figure lof the drawings is an elevation of my improved aerial observatory. Fig. 2 is a central vertical section cutting through the center of the elevator-cars. Fig. 3 is a central vertical section, the cutting plane being at right angles to that of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is ahorizontal section on line o: a: on Fig. l.

A is the supporting-column, made up of the four wings a, al, a2, and a3, arranged radially about a common center, at an angle of ninety degrees to each, and rmly secured together at their inner and contiguous edges, so as to form a rigid structure of cruciform shape in cross-section.

The column A is firmly secured to the bed plate B, which may be secured to a suitable foundation in any well-known manner, care being taken to provide suitable space below the bed-plate B for the hoistingdrums G and I G', which are mounted in bearings b b, in which they may be revolved to raise and lower the cars D and D', which are connected thereto by the ropes c and c', one end of each of which is attached to the car, and, after passing over the sheave or pulley d, suitably mounted at the top of the column. The other end is secured to the drum G or C.

The cars D and D are preferably made octagonal in form, and each is fitted to and occupies a large portion of the angular space between two of the wings or buttresses of the column, and is guided in its ascent and descent by lips c and e, or e2 and e3, formed upon or secured to the outer edges of the wings a, al, a2, and a3, as shown in Fig. 4.

At the top of the column a suitable iiooring, E, is constructed, of considerably larger diameter than the column, upon which is erected a light frame-work of iron, to support a roof or awning, F, to protect persons occupying the floor from the direct rays of the sun.

A short distance below the floor E are the landing-platforms Gr and Gr', and at intermediate points between said platforms and the base of the column are similar landings, H and H', all of which are in the angular spaces between the wings a and a?, and al and a3, or the angular spaces not occupied by the elevatorcars. From the platforms Gr and G rise the stairs I` and I', respectively, leading to the oor E, in a well-known manner.

A great advantage is obtained in constructing the column in the manner herein described, and in the arrangement of the cars as set forth, as compared with the cylindrical or tubular column and annular car, in that there is much less liability to annoyance from accidental stoppage of the cars during their ascent or de# scent, and in the great reduction in the cost of f Y construction, as compared with the structures heretofore built in which two cars 'are used. 1

The wings a, al, ce2, and a3 are tied together by horizontalties, as at thei platforms G, G', H, and H', and are braced by diagonal braces g g, sufficient to prevent all possible chance of Vsaid wings crippling;V and said wingsfrnay ibc further stiffened by the addition of vertical anglefironsupon the sides of said wings to- :ward the angularspacesoccupied bythe land'f ings.

t What I claim as new, and desire: to secureV by Letters Patent of the UnitedStates, isi*Y 1- l. An elevated lookout-tower, the supporting column ofV which Y isV made cruciform in shape in cross-section, in combination with one or more passenger elevator-oars, each litted to4 and Y occupying Y the angular spacebetween two of the wings or arms of said cruciform column, and suitable mechanism for raising said car or cars tothe substantially as described.

Y 2; The combination, in a lookont-tower,of a

' supporting-colrunn of cruciform shape in cross;

section7 two elevator-cars arranged upon oppositesides ofsaid coliy n, each within, .or part tially within, one ofthe angles formed between two of the win gs of said column, and adapted jto be guided in itsy ascent or descent by said. column, and one or more landings, located at' intermediate points between the base and the top of the column, and occupying the angles between the wings of said column not occu pied by the ascending and descending cars, substantially as described;

Executed at Boston, Massachusetts, this 14th day of January, A. D. 1878. Y

NATHAN C. LOMBARD.

n Witnesses: Y Y

" BENJ. ANDREws, Jr.,

C. H. Donn.

.topV of said Icolmnn, 

